DNR News - Grazing as a habitat management tool on wildlife management areas

Grazing as a habitat management tool on wildlife management areas

Passersby will notice cattle grazing this spring in some unlikely places in Pope and Stevens counties. Beginning in May, livestock will graze on the Sedan Wildlife Management Area (WMA) along Highway 55 northeast of Sedan, the Edwards Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) four miles east of Morris along County Road 10, the Ordway Prairie along County Road 104 south of Terrace, and other lands in the area.

The cooperative project, designed to demonstrate the potential benefits of managed grazing for grassland habitat and wildlife, is being conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Pope County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), the Nature Conservancy, and several local livestock operators.

According to project coordinators, small side-by-side plots on both public and private land will be used to visually demonstrate the similarities and differences of various grassland management practices, such as managed grazing, prescribed burning, haying and idled grasslands.

"The native tall-grass prairies of western Minnesota evolved through a historic regimen of fire, intensive grazing, and rest," explained Richard Olsen, Glenwood DNR assistant area wildlife manager. "Today we mimic these historic grassland disturbances with prescribed fires, hay or biomass harvesting, livestock grazing, and idling or rest."

Fire is currently used on an annual basis on a fraction of acres to simulate the fires of more than a century ago that reinvigorated the prairies. Hay or biomass harvesting is used to suppress woody vegetation, control weeds, and stimulate native grasses.

Both burning and harvesting are widely accepted grassland habitat management tools that have many documented benefits, according to Olsen. Livestock grazing, on the other hand, is an underutilized grassland wildlife management technique. He said managed livestock grazing is compatible and beneficial to grasslands and wildlife.

The USFWS in Morris and the DNR in Glenwood currently provide grazing opportunities on public lands to meet several specific habitat management objectives. "This project will help raise awareness that all grassland management tools are needed to promote healthy and productive grasslands that, in turn, benefit waterfowl, pheasants, and other bird species," Olsen said.

The project is funded through a Working Lands Initiative grant and contributions from Glacial Ridge Pheasants Forever, Glacial Ridge Cattleman's Association, Pope County Pheasant Restoration, Terrace Sportsman, Bar J. Ranch, Pope SWCD, Chippewa River Watershed Project, Jenniges Hidden Acres, Big Valley Milling, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Working Lands Initiative is a public/private partnership for wildlife development on working farms, where local teams work with landowners to meet local needs and priorities.

Cooperators are offering a bus tour on Aug. 20 so the public can see first-hand the positive aspects of grassland management techniques currently being used by public land managers. Call the Pope County SWCD at 320-634-5327 to sign up or learn more about the tour.

For more information on Sedan WMA or DNR grassland management, contact the Glenwood Area Wildlife office at 320-634-0342 or visit www.mndnr.gov.